


Mistletoe

by listentothewordsyousay



Category: Law & Order
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:47:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25494847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/listentothewordsyousay/pseuds/listentothewordsyousay
Summary: He stood directly behind her at the bar, just close enough for him to feel her shiver when he spoke softly into the curve of her shoulder. ‘I like the dress.’
Relationships: Claire Kincaid/Jack McCoy
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	1. Dress

**Author's Note:**

> our secret moments in a crowded room
> 
> they've got no idea about me and you...
> 
> I only bought this dress so you could take it off...
> 
> Taylor Swift, Dress

Claire Kincaid caught a glimpse of the alarm clock on her night stand and cursed. She was late.

She stood in the middle of her bedroom, the floor covered in most of the semi formal dresses she owned, feeling like she was sixteen again. Not only was she late, she was getting hot, she hadn’t had anything to eat since breakfast and she didn’t have anything to wear.

Her early Christmas present from her mother had been hanging on her door for a week. The new dress could have been seen as an olive branch, had it not been knee length, neck high and completely shapeless. No, it was evidently a reminder that Claire was to go to the DA’s staff Christmas party and _behave herself_. She looked at it and shuddered.

On her bed was the cheap black dress she had bought in a panic in her lunch hour. Jack had seemed amused when she informed him that she was going to buy a dress. ‘Something nice, I’m sure,’ he had said politely, with a subtle glance towards the secretary taking down his dictation.

On the mannequin, it seemed perfect; sophisticated but with a flirty edge. On her, it seemed far too low, far too short and completely unsuitable for an ADA.

She could hear her television set breaking the news headlines; she really, really had to go. She looked back at the dress her mother picked out, pursed her lips and tried to count up just how many of her mother’s cronies would be in attendance.


	2. dinner

As her colleagues took their seats around the table, she chatted politely, trying to subtly scan the door while the sensible part of her brain berated herself for the wasted effort. She was cold, Adam was glaring at her, and Jack wasn’t even here. It wasn’t until the first waiters began to march in with soup that he arrived, sheepishly sliding into his chair beside Adam.

She looked up from her conversation, her collarbones suddenly feeling warm as her breath caught in her throat and the entire room seemed to come to a stop. He was smiling appreciatively at her, his eyes fixed on hers, as if she was the only woman in the room.

Someone coughed and the spell was broken, but she felt his glance on her throughout the meal.

* * *

It was so unfair, she thought, as she tried to maintain interest in what Angela’s toddler wanted for Christmas. She could sit beside a woman like this, knees almost touching, heads bent together, and no one would bat an eyelid, whereas she couldn’t even look at Jack without having a scarlet letter branded on her forehead.

He was sitting with the rest of the men, looking politely interested in the conversation. She still felt electrified every time his eyes drifted over to her.

Claire shifted her legs slightly, as if her heels were digging in. His head tilted to match. She turned to lean in to Angela, as if the music had been turned up, completely aware that the movement showed off the curve of her neck. She sat up just a little straighter, letting the light hit off her skin. Angela finished her story (thank God, she thought) and Claire made her escape, grabbing her purse and heading to the bar. She knew he'd be behind her.


End file.
